Wiring harnesses and method of making same

ABSTRACT

A wiring harness for a road vehicle includes a plurality of conductive leads each of which includes a conductive core in a synthetic resin sheath. The individual leads of the harness extend side by side wherever possible, and are secured together by means of a synthetic resin backing member which is fused to the sheaths of the leads. The leads are positioned in a predetermined pattern, and the synthetic resin backing member is engaged with the leads. A fusing tool is engaged with the backing member and is operated to fuse the backing member to the sheaths of the leads. The backing member can be a preform in the shape of the harness pattern, or alternatively can be in a number of separate parts individually fused to the leads.

[ 1 May 15, 1973 [54] WIRING HARNESSES AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME [75]Inventor: William Lawrence Fry, I-Iaughton,

England [73] Assignee: Rists Wires Cables Limited, Newcastle, England[22] Filed: July 8, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 160,803

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data July 1 1, 1970 Great Britain..33786/70 [52] U.S. Cl ..l74/72 A, 156/47, 156/178,156/290,156/297,174/117 F [51] Int. Cl. ..I-I02g 3/02 [58] Field ofSearch ..l74/7O C, 72 A, 117 R,

174/117 F, 117 FF, 117 A; 29/203 MW; 156/47, 178, 290, 291, 297

/IIIIIIIIIIIIIII FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 197,455 4/1958 Austria..l74/l17R 938,797 2/1956 Germany ..174/ll7F 10/1965 Van Slyke ..174/72A X 8/1969 Gressitt et al. ..174/l17 R X Primary ExaminerLaramie E.Askin Attorney-Holman & Stern [57] ABSTRACT A wiring harness for a roadvehicle includes a plurality of conductive leads each of which includesa conductive core in a synthetic resin sheath. The individual leads ofthe harness extend side by side wherever possible, and are securedtogether by means of a synthetic resin backing member which is fused tothe sheaths of the leads. The leads are positioned in a predeterminedpattern, and the synthetic resin backing member is engaged with theleads. A fusing tool is engaged with the backing member and is operatedto fuse the backing member to the sheaths of the leads. The backingmember can be a preform in the shape of the harness pattern, oralternatively can be in a number of separate parts individually fused tothe leads.

6 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTEDW 1 5% 3,733 ,428

SHEET 1 OF 2 INVENTOR Will/am [QM/U166 fig.

WIRING HARNESSES AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME This invention relates towiring harnesses particularly, but not exclusively, for road vehicles.

A wiring harness according to the invention includes a plurality ofconductive leads each of which comprises a conductive core in asynthetic resin sheath, and a synthetic resin backing member, said leadsbeing secured in position relative to one another by having theirsheaths fused to said backing member.

The invention further resides in a method of manufacturing a wiringharness including the steps of, arranging a plurality of leads, each ofwhich comprises a conductive core in a synthetic resin sheath, in apredetermined pattern, engaging a synthetic resin backing member withthe leads, and fusing the backing member to the sheaths of the leads sothat the member retains the leads in said pattern.

One example of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawingswherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of part of a wiring harness for a roadvehicle,

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the harness part shown in FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is an inverted plan view of a modification of the arrangementshown in FIG. 1,

FIG. 4 is an inverted plan view of a further modification of thearrangement shown in FIG. 1, and

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a modification applicable to thearrangement of FIGS. 1, 3 and 4.

Referring to the drawings, the wiring harness includes a plurality ofconductive leads 11 each of which comprises a conductive core 12 withina polyvinyl chloride sheath 13. The leads 1 1 are arranged in theharness so as to run parallel to one another wherever possible, andwhere the leads run parallel to one another they are secured to abacking member in the form of a P.V.C. strip 14 by fusing the strip 14to the sheaths 13 of the leads. The strip 14 is fused to the sheaths ata plurality of spaced points along the lengths of the leads, the leadsbeing arranged side by side. Thus the leads 11 are secured in positionrelative to one another by the strip 14.

In order to manufacture the harness the leads are arranged in theharness pattern on a former, with the leads side by side rather than ina bundle. A backing member in the form of the P.V.C. strip 14 is laid incontact with the leads, and where the leads extend parallel to oneanother, and it is necessary to secure the leads together, a radiofrequency fusing tool is used to fuse the P.V.C. backing strip to theP.V.C. sheaths of the leads at spaced points along the lengths of theleads. The strip 14 is preformed to the shape of the harness to beproduced, and there will of course be regions where it is undesirable tosecure the leads to one another. In these regions the leads will not befused to the strip 14.

In a modification (FIG. 3) the backing member is defined by severalseparate strips 14a which are fused to different runs of leads in theharness. The strips 14a do not need to be intricately shaped to followthe pattern of the harness since they will be fused to the straight runsof the leads in the harness at spaced points along the straight runs.

In a further modification (FIG. 4) the backing member is defined by aplurality of separate P.V.C. pieces 14b which are each laid across theruns of leads 11 and which are each fused to the sheaths of the leads1 1. The pieces 14b are spaced apart along the length of the leads 11 ofthe harness.

It will be appreciated that leads of different diameter can be securedeasily to the same backing member, and moreover where two separate setsof leads are secured to respective backing member parts, then the twosets of leads can be positioned one on top of the other, and can besecured together by fusing regions of their respective backing memberparts together, as shown in FIG. 5. Where leads of different diameterare to be secured to the same backing member the leads are supported ona resilient pad and the backing member is then engaged with the leads.The fusing tool is then engaged with the backing member at the point atwhich the leads are supported by the resilient pad, and pressure isapplied during operation of the tool to produce the fusion. The tool hasa straight edge which engages the backing member, and is not stepped toaccommodate the difference in diameter in the leads 11. The applicationof pressure to the backing member and the leads during the fusingoperation deforms the resilient pad, so that the resilient padaccommodates the difference in diameter between the leads 11, therebyensuring that all the leads are fused to the backing member.

I claim:

1. A wiring harness including a plurality of conductive leads each ofwhich comprises a conductive core in a synthetic resin sheath, and asynthetic resin backing member, said plurality of leads including leadsof at least two different diameters, and said leads being secured sideby side by having their sheaths fused to said backing member, andwherein a first set of leads in the harness is fused to a first backingmember part and a second set of leads of the harness is fused to asecond backing member part, the first set extending on top of the secondset, and the first and second set being secured together byinterconnecting regions of their respective backing member parts.

2. A method of manufacturing a wiring harness, including the steps ofarranging a plurality of conductive leads of two different diameters ina predetermined pattern, each lead comprising a conductive core in asynthetic resin sheath, engaging a synthetic resin backing member withthe leads to form an assembly, engaging a resilient member with theassembly, and urging the leads and the backing member relatively towardsone another by applying pressure to the assembly which deforms theresilient member while fusing the sheaths of the leads to the backingmember, the deformation of the resilient member accommodating thedifferences in diameter of the leads thereby ensuring that all leads arefused to the backing member.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2, further including the step ofpreforming the backing member to the shape of the harness.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3, further including the step of fusingthe backing member to the leads at spaced points along the lengths ofthe leads.

5. A method as claimed in claim 2, further including the steps offorming the backing member into a number of separate strips, and fusingeach strip to respective runs of leads in the harness at spaced pointsalong the length of their respective runs.

6. A method as claimed in claim 2, further including the steps offorming the backing member into a plurality of separate pieces, andfusing each piece to the leads at points spaced apart along the lengthsof the leads.

1. A wiring harness including a plurality of conductive leads each ofwhich comprises a conductive core in a synthetic resin sheath, and asynthetic resin backing member, said plurality of leads including leadsof at least two different diameters, and said leads being secured sideby side by having their sheaths fused to said backing member, andwherein a first set of leads in the harness is fused to a first backingmember part and a second set of leads of the harness is fused to asecond backing member part, the first set extending on top of the secondset, and the first and second set being secured together byinterconnecting regions of their respective backing member parts.
 2. Amethod of manufacturing a wiring harness, including the steps ofarranging a plurality of conductive leads of two different diameters ina predetermined pattern, each lead comprising a conductive core in asynthetic resin sheath, engaging a synthetic resin backing member withthe leads to form an assembly, engaging a resilient member with theassembly, and urging the leads and the backing member relatively towardsone another by applying pressure to the assembly which deforms theresilient member while fusing the sheaths of the leads to the backingmember, the deformation of the resilient member accommodating thedifferences in diameter of the leads thereby ensuring that all leads arefused to the backing member.
 3. A method as claimed in claim 2, furtherincluding the step of preforming the backing member to the shape of theharness.
 4. A method as claimed in claim 3, further including the stepof fusing the backing member to the leads at spaced points along thelengths of the leads.
 5. A method as claimed in claim 2, furtherincluding the steps of forming the backing member into a number ofseparate strips, and fusing each strip to respective runs of leads inthe harness at spaced points along the lenGth of their respective runs.6. A method as claimed in claim 2, further including the steps offorming the backing member into a plurality of separate pieces, andfusing each piece to the leads at points spaced apart along the lengthsof the leads.